Improvement in machines for cutting files



UNITEDr STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

- ALlI-IEUS B. SOUTHWICK, OF BALLARD VALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR,

THROUGH MESSE ASSIGNMENTS, T() THE VVHIPPLE FILE MANUFACTURA- ltl-COMPANY, )F SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR CUTTINGFILES.

Specification forming part ofLettcrs Patent No. 37,552, dated January27,1863.

Taall zr/toin il muy concern:

Be it lmownlhat I, ALr'nnUs l. SoU'rIr wrorqot' Ballard Vale, in thecountbv ot'Essex and Stateof .\lassaclmsettsdiave invented, certainlniprovements in Machines for Uutting Files, of which the following` isafull7 clear, and exact description, reference bring had to thcaccompanying drawings, making part of this sprcili'cation, inwhichligure l is a perspective view of the ma chine; Fig. 2, a verticalsection through the middle of the saine; Figs. 3 and 4, details to bereferred to.

The first part of my present invention consists in an improved method ofholding the tileblank which is to be cut up to the face-plate near whichthe critter strikes, so that it the face of the blank is not true thebed in which the blank is held may accommodate itselt'and present thatportion of the blank which is op-v erated on squarely to the cutter.

The secoml part of my invention consists in a device. for regulating theblow of theI cutter so that it may strike. harder on the wide part oftheblank than on the narrow part, where less force is required vto make acut of equal depth. p

The third part of my invention consists in an improvement. in theface-plate.

That others skilled in the art may under.

stand and use my invention, I will describe the manner in which l havecarried it out.

In the. said drawings, A is a bed or table supported on legs a. Ascrew-shaft, B, rises through the center of this table, by which thetile-blank I; is fed up as the cutting proceeds; but as the mechanism bywhich this feed is effected forms no part of this present inventionitneed not be described. A standard,C, i

rises from a base or platform, 1), which is pivotcd around a hollowcenter, c, through which the screwshaft l' passes, while its rear enddmay be adjusted by set-screws c, one on each side, so as to bringthewholc fraxne which carriesrthe file-blank as nearl square as possiblcto the direction ot' the blow of the critter.

After being adjusted in place, this platform troin the standard (J,support the face-plate E (shown detached in Fig. 4,) which is attachedto the arms by screws 4, so that. it may be readily removed. Againstthis plate the faceof the tile-blank to be cut is held. Two other arms,h, which project forward from one side of the, standard O, have pivotedto them at 5, similar ar1ns,'1`, attached to a frame, 1, which is thusallowed a slight vibrating motion on the pivots 5, and is held up towardthe face-plate E by the weight of a heavy rod, (lr, which is pivoted tothe end of a lever, 7c, pivotcd at 6 to the edgeofthc standard C. Ashort strap, I, is pivoted to thehead ot' the lever k and to thefratne-"It-g A treadle, H, pivoted to one ofthe legs a, and to the lowerend of the rod Gr, enables the operator to raise this rod and the leverk. and draw back the frame F when itis required-'to removethcfi/tle-blank b. Asa vertical motion of the blank'4 is required as itis fed up by the screw-shaftB, another frame or box K is made to slideup'and down in dovetailed ways 7, in theirame F. A heavy block, L, ishung in the front ofthe box K. 1t has let into its face a soft-metalbLd, o, in which the blank b lies. It is pivot'rlv vvat'top at 8 and atthe bottom at 9 to short arms 10, projecting from the ends of the boltK. These pivots are placed Ln, or nearly in, a line with the face of theblank, so that the vweight of this swinging block, which receives theconcussion of theblow ofthe cutter, tends to keep the face ofthe blankagainst the faceplate E, although it is capable of a slight vibration onits pivots to accommodate itself to any irregularity or twist in theface of the blau-k, which rests againstthe faceplate as it is fed up.This is necessary, as the face of the blank cannot always be made aperfect plane, and any twist on the surface which is` pressed againstthe face-plate E will cause the cutter t-o Inakeits indentation intheinetal deeper near one edge p, which is pressed down by a spring, n,in

the head ot' the block L. As the point or upis secured to the table A byscrews f, 'which per end of the file-blank b (the one here shown passthrough slots 3 in the platform. Two

is a three-cornered filelis narrower 'on the arms, g, one on each side,projecting forward l face tha-n the lower part, the blow ofthe cuttershould be less at the commencement of the l operation ot' cutting, andgradually increase in a very slight degree as the face of the blankwidens, in order that the cuts may all be of a uniform depth. 'Ioaccomplish this I employ the following device: rIhe cutter 'r is securedin a head, a, on a bent arm, t, which rises from a shaft, M, supportedon suitable bearings on a heavy blc-ck, N, rising from the table A. Theblow ot the cutter is given by a spring applied to the shaft M, and-theshaft is revolved a part turn at short intervals to raise the cutter bymechanism similar to that emploved in other machines of this class, andwhich, as it forms no part of this present invi ntion, need not beexplained. A stop is always requisite to check and determine the amountof revolution ofthe shaft M, the throw ofthe arm f, and the depth of thecnt made by the cut-ter fr. It is the regulating` ofthe p0-` sition otthis stop by the feed of thc blank itselt' which constitutes this partof my invention. The shalt M is turned by a spring applied to a pin, 12,and is arrested by another similar piu, 13, which projects from the 0pp)site side ot' the shaft, and strikes on a butt m orstop, 1i, (see Fig.3,) which is set in and projects above the top of the block N. It issupported on a wedge-shaped piece, ze, which slides in arecess in thelblock N. An arm, O, attached to the top of the sliding frame K, carriesat its outer end a rod, P, the lower end ot' which is wedge-shaped,asshown in Iiig. 3, and passes down through a hole in the top of theblock N, and bears against the wedge w, so that as this rod is raisedwith the frame K by the veed ofthe screw-shaft B the taper of the rodallows the wedge w to be pushed farther back by the percussion ofthe pin13 on the stop e, and the stop falls lower and allows a greatervibration tothe shaft M,'and consequently a. heavier blow to the cutter.A

small regulating-block, x, is placed in the same recess with the wedgew, but behind the tapering rod I). This block is pushed farther for wardby turning down the set-screw y, which bears on its inclined end, andthe position or amount which the stop e may fall is thus nicelyadjusted. The face-'plate E is usually made of a straight piece ofhardened steel; but, as the cutter i strikes very close -to its upperedge, it is liable to be worn away and become uneven. To remedythis Ihaveformed a recess in the back ofthe face-plate, in which I haveinserted a piece of hard steel, a?, Figs. 1 and 4, which is held inplace by a wedge and screw, 15, and which, when worn, may be easilyremoved to have its end 16 ground oft' square and true.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The pivoted or vibrating block, L, in combination with the slidingframe or box, K, operating substantially as described.

2. The swinging frame F, with the weightedrod G, or its equivalent, forholding the blank up to the tace-plate E, substantially as set forth.

'3. The standard C and platform D, pivoting on the center c, and madeadjustable in the manner substantially as'specitied.

4. 'The device ,for regulating the blow ofthe cutter r as the feedproceeds`viz., the wedge! shaped rod P, which is raised with the blankb, and the tapering block or wedge w, for lowering the stop e,subtantially as set forth.

5. 'Ihe piece a2, inserted in the face-plate E, for the purpose stated,and in the manner substantially as described.

ALPHnUs B. soUTHWIcK.

Witnesses THos. It. RoAoH, P. E. Tnscnmmennn.

